Legacies and Lessons: Sexual violence against men and boys in Sri Lanka and Bosnia & Herzegovina

This report is the first in the planned series of reports to be published by the All Survivors Project on sexual violence against men and boys in different situations of armed conflict. Eight years on from the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, and more than two decades since fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) ended, conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys remains one of the least documented and most inadequately addressed of all the human rights abuses that took place during these wars. Evidence shows that most known incidents of sexual violence against men and boys in both BiH and Sri Lanka took place in detention settings. In both places stigma and shame along with other factors remain powerful deterrents to reporting. A combination of inadequate and complex legal framework coupled with lack of expertise in responding to sexual violence against men and boys have prevented survivors from reporting these violations and accessing justice. Failure to acknowledge and respond effectively to sexual violence against men and boys in both contexts has long-lasting and deeply damaging consequences both for survivors and for wider efforts to deliver justice, establish rule of law and achieve reconciliation. Nevertheless, both countries provide important lessons on strengthening prevention and protection, as well as providing redress to victims.